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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Well, I've been sick ALL weekend!!! UGH!!! I've mostly been laying in bed...drifting in and out of sleep as I watch (actually, more like listen while I doze) every season of Friends. I've gone through a box and half of kleenex. Good thing I stocked up on them at Costco. The worst part is that I haven't been able to get "good" sleep because of all the coughing!! I hope I feel better by Thanksgiving!!

When you're sick, it's so hard to muster up energy to get things done. Of the few hours that I spent out of bed during the weekend, I used to organize my a|s ribbon. I had bought a super large SnapWare at Joann's. It's perfect for storing my collection of ribbon. My last order consisted of A LOT of ribbon. :)

Here's a picture of 2 of the 3 tiers of the SnapWare. The 3rd tier will be for embellishments and such....twinkles and pearls. I only had enough energy to do the ribbon.

And, for a limited time, order the special Gingerbread cardstock assortment pack - an easy way to get the look showcased in this month's spotlight.Gingerbread Assortment Pack contains four sheets each:CocoaToffeeCranberryShellBermuda

Spotlight pricing is good through 11:59PM Eastern time, January 1, 2012

Contact your me to learn more about these projects and the supplies we used to make them!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Last year, we made these adorable gift card holders at the A Muse Holiday Open House. I thought I would reuse the idea using a current a|s stamp set. This gift card is made with an A2 sized envelope.

I didn't do a very good job of taking the picture of the open gift card holder. What you can't see is that under the flap is the opening for the gift card. I used a 1/2" circle punch to punch out a half circle for ease of getting the gift card out.

First, I scored the A2 envelope down the center. I cut the flap of the envelope in half to the fold line. If the sides of your envelope flap is at a slant, then you want to cut the half cut at a slant also. I should have taken a picture so that you can see what I'm describing. I'll try to get pictures uploaded this weekend.

I used the Cherry Damask Shimmer Cardstock to cover the inside and outside of the envelope along with the Cherry Organdy Sheer Polka Dot 1/4" Ribbon. HELPFUL TIP: make sure you place the ribbon in place before adhering the cardstock on the outside of the envelope. I used a library clip to hold the ribbon in place, but you can also use clothespins.

As you can see in the picture that shows the holder "open", the flap is adhered down on one side and up on the other side (where the gift card goes in). I used the Martha Stewart Doily Border punch for a little somethin'-somethin' for the inside.

I stamped the image and sentiment using the Holiday Tags. I used a large clear block and lined up the image and the sentiment so that I only had to stamp once. Also used is the Vintage Backgrounds stamp set.

Then, I cut the stamped images using the a|s labels die:

Before I adhered the cut out label on the front of the gift card holder, I used the Cranberry Pearls for the holly berries.

If you need any specific instructions or dimensions, shoot me an email. I'll try to do a better job in the future about writing specific instructions. I have a greater appreciation for all the bloggers who take the time to put up tutorials. :)

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

I go crazy for anything that has to do with storage. So, when a fellow a|s consultant, Sherry Czarnecki, posted a picture of how she stored her Copics, I couldn't help but use her idea.

I went to JoAnn's last weekend and used their coupon to get the Art Bin. This is how I ended up using it:

I kept my ink pads separated by the seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. I labeled the lids of the ink pads so that I could see the name of the color from the side AND....it identifies which ink pad the lid goes to. (NOTE: the ink pads come with the name on the bottom of the pads).

I used the other side to store all of my Copics that are available through the a|s catalog (Although a|s only sells the Originals, mine are a mixture of Originals, Sketches, and Ciaos). I have about 150 more Copics besides these ones, which I'm storing in cubbies.

What I love about the Art Bin is that it's sturdy and has a handle. Now, I can take all of my ink pads and Copics from room to room or to any workshop/hostess party.

I thought about storing the clear blocks with the ink pads, but the largest blocks won't quite fit the way I want it to. For now, the blocks are in a snapware container.